Domino Effect
by HellHathPie986
Summary: In a life initially riddled with unjust and unfairness a person has claw their way through social norms to create a world in which they can call home. A theory on Doflamingo's life and the events that led up to Punk Hazard.
1. Pitiable

No words could even begin to properly describe the life of a slave. To be reduced from the top of the food chain to nothing more than a simple item bought and sold in a store like a child's toy is something no one can truly grasp. Being stripped of any worldly possessions, friends, family, and even your own name is nothing to take lightly. Rights are just a cruel joke to those branded for slavery and freedom seems more painful than the wrong side of the master's whip. It's not just some world to be highlighted in the media's spot light for special segment or a section of the newspaper for a few days and then forgotten entirely. The business only festers and grows; slowly engulfing more and more innocent lives and condemning them to a life only worth dying. Those put on the market and sold to some eccentric noble are doomed to a life of desolation and sorrow, treated no better than a household tool. In the back of every imprisoned man's mind is the bright prospects of somehow breaking free of their bonds and disappearing beneath the horizon to live a life of their own, but no one who worked themselves to the bone day in and out was delusional enough to cling to such dreams. It was a sick and twisted world they lived in, but there's nothing someone as lowly as a piece of merchandise could do about it.

The sun beat heavily against their backs as the chains binding each slave to their designated space sliced deeply into unprotected ankles, wrists, and necks, sure to leave some horrible scarring behind in the long run. Those who had been working on the island longer had tougher skin which was accustomed to the brutality of endless back-breaking work, but the seasoned workers couldn't look down on new recruits; they could only pity them for being stuck in the same horrible situation.

There needn't be a reason for a slave to work or know what he was accomplishing through his blood and sweat so no one on this island was entirely sure what was being done as they excavated the area. The men cleared the land in the tropical heat, unable to take a break and forced to toil through soaring temperatures, burning their skin until it blistered and then still continuing their labor.

In the unforgiving heat of the sun was a certain blonde haired boy working alongside dozens of men all varying in age as they struggled to level the sandy ground. He had been brought over by boat some months ago, sold into slavery far before he could even remember. He was a strong worker, always completing jobs to the satisfaction of his masters, but being assigned to dig in the sands underneath the unrelenting heat for the fourth day in a row seemed to work to kid to his limits.

The boy fell to his knees, vision swimming and sounds cutting in and out of his ears as he desperately wished for something to drink before falling onto the sand beneath him. The clattering of his shackles would soon alert one of the guards to come over and force him to work again, but he didn't care. Maybe this time he'd get beaten so harshly that he'd never have to work again…?

Sure enough, in a matter of moments a rough hand was clasped painfully around his upper arm before his skinny frame was lifted into the air. Angry shouting came soon after but the boy didn't bother deciphering it, the man was obviously yelling insults and threats.

He felt pain in his gut and on his cheek, telltale sensations of being struck by the brute, but he ignored them and chose to lay with his face in the sand as he felt the falling sensation of unconsciousness taking over.

More shouting came to his ears, but this time it was different. The noise wasn't like that of the burly overseers that systematically beat the enslaved men, but of a young man probably in his mid teens. The kid turned his head and tried to focus on where the voice was coming from, but he only managed to make out an unknown shorter shape standing next to the large blob who was probably responsible for the throbbing in his stomach and face. More words were exchanged but the kid was too spent to understand any of it. Suddenly, another blob appeared in his line of sight, stopping in front of the two shapes before rapidly approaching him. He expected to be hit again by any of the three standing over him and beaten until he could no long feel anything, but instead the boy was propped up in the stranger's arms as something cool and wet was brought to his lips. The slave boy instantly knew what it was and greedily drank the water, gulping it down until he could no longer breathe.

The bucket was taken from his grasp before he could finish it and he was left sitting on the ground. The water carrier departed and the kid could clearly see the two others leaving as well. The taller was one of the more short-tempered overseers with a muscular build and a whip attached to his belt. The smaller was a boy who looked to be a little taller than the slave and was dressed from head to toe in freshly pressed and expensive looking clothes. The boy stared at the retreating figure, instantly realizing that the shorter stranger must be the son of a noble.

It was surprising to see one of those leeches out and about amongst the slaves but nothing could compare to the anger of having been taken pity of by one of those disgusting gluttons. If it weren't for the chains restraining him, the slave boy would gladly be right in front of the nobility with his calloused fingers wrapped around the other guy's neck.


	2. Unexpected Turn of Events

It could be said that a child has an easier life than an adult on this island, but the basis of that idea is already so far in the dirt neither young or old could consider it a valid claim. The work load was definitely different, but only because a child can do so much before collapsing from exhaustion. The living conditions for all of the varying ages were far less than desirable, the food was poor and clean water was scarce. This place could be considered something as terrifying and brutal as Hell on Earth and nobody who was forced to stay on it would disagree. It wasn't a mystery as to why the nobles didn't come out of their estates to look over the progress their tools were making on the landscape and not many slaves who were reassigned to different jobs claimed to miss the manual labor of toiling away in the scorching rays of the sun. Outdoor work was mainly reserved for hardened criminals and those who displeased their masters in the slightest, making it so no one would ever consider going against their owners. But even on this rotting island filled with the lowest of higher ups some pleasure was found in different work environments. For instance, working in a noble man's mansion had its perks since the roof overhead protected a person from the weather, but pleasure was only subjective in the eyes of different slaves and the blonde haired boy from before was currently missing the back breaking work of manual labor.

"306! Come over here!" A female voice called out from another room. The slave boy tensed, despising his designated number as much as the noble brat who was calling out to him. But his right to an opinion had been forsaken long before he could even have a say about it so he was forced to comply. She was the daughter of his master and was preparing for her upcoming sixteenth birthday so right now was just about the worst time to disobey any sort of order, no matter how degrading. The boy grudgingly obliged, wondering just how satisfying it would be to smash open the head of every money-hungry pack rat on this corrupted spit of land.

He entered the other room, immediately spotting the girl as she was surrounded by several seamstresses who were putting the finishing touches on an extravagant ball gown. In his opinion she looked like a bloated whale decorated with enough frills and lace in order to compensate for her disgusting features and lack of a decent feminine figure, but of course he'd never get away with saying that aloud.

The whale-girl messed with her hair as if trying to fluff it up and sent him the creepiest of glances. "Tell me what you think, boy." She demanded. The kid managed to suppress a growl and death glare, making sure to plaster an uninterested look on his face as he searched his mind for some bullshit answer to give.

"Breathtaking, m'lady." He replied, balling his fists until he could feel his nails digging into his palms but also taking care not to draw any blood which could 'sully the floors'. The girl smiled and barked a few orders to the women surrounding her to take off the added fabric and finish the dress later. After all, the poor little nobility was tired.

The blonde felt like going on a blood rage at the thought.

Suddenly, something hard and forceful connected harshly with the back of his knees, sending the boy to the floor as his legs throbbed from the blow. With years of experience he had managed to suppress a cry of pain and after spending the past few months with the ugly whale he knew exactly who had come up behind him.

"Jane, what on Earth is this _thing_ doing here? It's covered in diseases and filth! Nothing fit for a gorgeous woman as you." The young man purred in a husky voice as he slammed a foot into the kid's back and smashed him into the carpet, causing the boy to wince. He heard a giggle come from the young woman as the seamstresses continued to remove all of the fabric they had so methodically put on.

"Don't be so hard with him, Remus. He's my little project and I don't want him ruined until I know the results of my work." The two chuckled heartily with the boy still seething beneath the male teen's shoe. Jane Grey was the girl's name and the young man standing over the kid was her fiancé-to-be. She would be engaged to him the day of her party and married a few months after turning sixteen. The two seemed to be made for one another since they both had a deep enjoyment for physically abusing their workers and looking down at anyone who didn't have enough money to spend on useless things.

Then again, that seemed to fit the character of any noble on this island.

The shoe let up and the boy was allowed to stand again. He got up without a word and made sure not to lay his eyes on anything but the floor when he heard the tromping of the whale as she descended from the raised floor she had been standing on after the excess material was removed from her 'simple' day dress.

"I have a marvelous idea to pass the time today!" The young woman suddenly exclaimed, clasping her hands together in excitement. The kid could imagine the disgusting happiness on the girl's face and he had the undying urge to beat it off of her. Jane called out to her maids and ordered them to bring her one of her old dresses from when she was a few sizes smaller than a small mountain. The kid mentally wondered what good that could do just as the teenage girl addressed him once more.

"306, get over here."

The boy obeyed quickly but was still jammed in the back with the cane Remus had used to hit him before. He approached the young woman and made sure not to lift his gaze any higher than her shoes.

"Stand here." She ordered, pointing to the small platform she had just been occupying moments before when the seamstresses were tailoring her dress. The boy had a sickening feeling but complied nonetheless. He stood on the raised ground, hoping his insight was wrong in every way when his jaw was suddenly seized in the grasp of the whale. The kid was forced to look into the repulsive gaze of Jane Grey as she elaborated on her idea.

"I don't know why Father thinks slaves are nothing but an eyesore and why he refuses to have any of them come near him, saying he would rather pay for servants." She said, staring into the eyes of the boy in front of her as she spoke. "To me, all of you human merchandise are the most wonderful things to watch." Jane giggled happily. The boy just stood there, wondering if she had happened to hit her head on something earlier and why the blow hadn't killed her.

"To me it's the most beautiful thing to look at all of these little worker bees and to see any sort of light gone from their eyes." She squeezed her grip on the slave boy's jaw but only managed to scrunch up his face with her meager strength. He betrayed his thoughts by having an unemotional mask on his expression when on the inside the kid was ready to punch the girl in her throat.

"It fills me with joy to watch as you tiny little insects work until you bleed with no hope and no purpose, just doing as you're told since you have no means for thinking up anything for yourselves." The young woman said, letting go of her slave just as the maids reentered the room with the gown she had sent them to go fetch. A devious smile crept over her face.

"But one day, as I was looking out of a window at the men working their fingers to the bone in the scorching sun, I saw something that wasn't meant to be. I saw one little boy with fire in his eyes like he had something to look foreword to in life. So I thought of this; how wonderful would it be to watch that fire sputter out? To be the very reason someone no longer has a reason to live?" Both Jane Grey and Remus burst out into laughter at her great plan before the girl snapped her fingers and motioned for her maids to approach her. A sadistic smile carved into her face just as the young woman gave them her orders.

"Put it on him." She stated bluntly. Without any hesitation, the women approached the kid. The slave boy just stared at the clothing, eyes wide in disbelief and anger. He raised his hands as if preparing to take the dress and rip it to shreds when he heard Jane speak up.

"Tsk tsk, you don't want to be left in the dungeon and sentenced to work outside again, do you?" The young woman had a conniving look in her eyes and a grin that could terrify just about anyone as she said those words so casually. The women holding the dress even bristled from fear before looking up at the kid and mentally pleading for him to just obey the girl. The boy paused momentarily, remembering the marks scattered across his body from the last time he had been left in the island's dungeon along with a few dozen other guys. It had been a long two weeks of sleepless nights and fighting against men ten times his size just to survive only to be forced into manual labor for another two weeks as soon as he was out. And he remembered all of that punishment was for forgetting to add a "m'lady" at the end of one of his sentences.

The boy swallowed, visibly shaking from rage as he weighed his safety against his pride.

He now realized the maids were standing on either side of him, removing the clothing he was made to wear in the presence of nobility. After all, he would be killed before anyone allowed him to wear the rags most slaves were forced to live in all of their lives in front of such pristine people. His ill-fitting suit jacket was pealed off, revealing a white shirt too tight for his arms and neck. If it was being removed for just about any other reason the kid would happily have it stripped from his body, but right now was different.

"Stop." The boy said somewhat meekly. It wasn't that he had been reduced to pleading and crying, but that he was having a hard time getting words to form with his rage nearly pouring out of his ears. Jane Grey just chuckled low and devilishly as the women on either side of the kid now pulled off his tie and dress shirt, revealing the gashes and abused skin on his arms and back. By Jane's orders, the men in charge of beating the kid had taken care to not leave anything too serious on his chest and abdomen. But the discolored patches and slash marks up and down his body spoke volumes of his pain tolerance and unwavering personality.

"Not until your spirit is broken and you're completely at my disposal." The young woman stated menacingly, her expression no less evil than before. Just as one of the maids began reaching for his belt buckle the kid snapped. In one swift movement, the two women were sent flying to opposite sides of the room. Shrieks erupted from Jane and the remaining maids but the boy was totally gone, lost in his rage as he picked up the gown and tore the fabric straight down the middle. He threw the pieces to the side and began advancing to the teenagers in front of him.

"S-stay back you beast!"

"Don't you dare lay a hand on me!"

The slave boy sprinted foreword and lunged at Jane, catapulting himself into the air and aiming a fatal blow to her face. But just as he was about to make contact with the young woman's left temple, his hand was seized by another's and twisted behind his back. Before the kid could do anything else, he was slammed into the floor and held down with his wrists in the stranger's grasp, a knee pressing into his back and his head driven into the carpet below him.

"Oh, you horrible boy! How dare you threaten me and ruin one of my dresses!"

"Your actions are unforgivable! You shall be executed as soon as possible!"

"Both of you, shut the hell up!"

The teenagers quieted down as the authoritative voice broke through their squabbling. Although the person sounded commanding and powerful he had the voice of someone considerably younger than the other two and the kid was somewhat confused by it as he slowly came down from his adrenaline rush. The voice was somewhat familiar to the kid, but he wasn't sure from where he'd heard it before.

"Brother Romulus! What are you doing here?" Remus asked in disbelief. Romulus snorted in dissatisfaction.

"Saving your ass, obviously. Or would you rather have this brat send a fist through yours and your fiancée's heads?" The third nobility stated, glaring down at the slave boy in his grasp. Suddenly, the sound of heavy boots came bursting into the room as the surrounding men reacted to Jane's scream.

"Good, the guards are here." Remus stated. "Arrest this slave and have him killed for threatening mine and my fiancée's life!" The teen said, pointing at the boy still trapped underneath Romulus. All of the color drained from the kid's face as he could only imagine the magnitude of trouble he had managed to get himself into. He knew he wasn't going to be let off so easily and was about to endure the most horrific torture before finally being allowed to die for his crimes. The kid struggled against the guy on top of him, hoping to run away from his fate and hide somewhere far off, but he couldn't budge. The trotting of boots began moving closer to him and he panicked even more only to have his head pressed harder into the floor by Romulus. The pressure caused him to stop his actions temporarily just as the one above him spoke up.

"Don't bother, I'll take care of this one myself." Romulus stated before standing and hauling the kid to his feet. The nobility still had a tight grip on the blonde's wrists and the back of his neck so the kid couldn't go anywhere.

"But young master Romulus, this slave…"

"This slave dared to raise a hand against _my_ older brother. It's only right for me to be the one to deal out his punishment." The young man stated matter-of-factly. The kid just blinked, _what could this guy possibly hope to do worse than the professional torturers in the dungeon? _

"R-right, sir. We shall accompany…"

"No need." Romulus cut the guard off once more and began departing the room. "This punk is going to pay by my hands and if any of you interrupt me I'll do the same to you." The nobility called over his shoulder while pushing the kid out the door and slamming it behind them.

~0~

The two had been walking for quite a while, neither making a single noise other than the earth underneath them from each step they took. Romulus hadn't taken his hands away from the slave boy's wrists and the back of his neck, pushing him along sandy terrain, then earthen, then through some greenery before finally shoving the kid into a clearing completely surrounded by trees, bushes and vines. He landed on his hands and knees, skidding to a halt just in front of a shallow-looking pond. The boy stayed where he was, contemplating the easiest way to escape as he listened to the nobility approach.

"You going to get up or will I have to help you like the baby you are?"

That grabbed the kid's attention and he was up before even having time to think over the consequences. He managed to finally get a look at Romulus for the first time and was somewhat surprised at how young he actually was. He looked like he was maybe five years older than the blonde kid and just a few inches taller. He had long, shoulder-length black hair that was slicked back and a bandage across the bridge of his nose as if he got into fights often.

"Well, brat? What are you going to do next?" The elder boy teased, smirking sinisterly and goading the blonde to come and attack him. The younger snarled and tore after the nobility, delivering fast and accurate punches to the other's smug face but missing every time. After a moment, Romulus switched from defense to offence and struck the boy in his gut, chest, and jaw. The slave boy was knocked over and sent tumbling across the ground before he landed in the pond, breathing heavily and glaring fiercely at the other. The elder boy just pulled off his suit jacket and assumed a mock fighting stance before waving his hand, motioning for the kid to finish what was started. The blonde scoffed and hopped to his feet, running back and resuming his attacks. The boys fought at full strength, each landing violent attacks on the other until they collapsed from fatigue after almost twenty minutes of endless brawling. They lay on the ground, heavy breaths escaping their mouths as the both of them calmed down from the long fight. The slave boy stared up at the canopy above him, wondering what was going to come next when Romulus suddenly spoke up.

"You got a name?" The nobility asked as his breathing returned to normal. The blonde cocked an eyebrow in confusion before replying.

"No." He had never known anything beyond 306 and the various curse words he'd been called throughout his life, but the kid knew that some people came into slavery already having a name only to have it stripped away. The elder boy laughed at the other's complete lack of manners in his reply but didn't call him out on it.

"I hate my name, it makes me feel like I'm destined for too much." The nobility said before sitting up and turning towards the slave. "Just call me Crocodile."


	3. Naming

"Since I'm twelve you can be seven."

The blonde just stared at the other with a mix of confusion and anger at what he just said. It had been a couple of days since the slave had snapped, nearly killing Jane Grey and Remus. In that time he spent every moment he was on duty with Crocodile as a front. The nobility had obviously lied when he said he'd take revenge for the blonde nearly killing his older brother because the two were currently sitting near the same pond that Crocodile had dragged him to a few days ago with an expensive bottle of wine and two decorated wine glasses between them.

"Why do I have to be younger? I'm a better fighter than you are!" The slave boy exclaimed. Crocodile just snickered, still extremely amused by the younger's lack of manners. He enjoyed that about his company; being treated as a normal person. He casually took a sip of his drink before speaking.

"Because you're shorter. Everyone knows older means taller." The elder set his empty glass down and relaxed against the tree he was leaning on, tucking his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. "Quit being so defensive about it, that wasn't supposed to be an insult." The boy commented, exhaling as he settled down

"One day I'm going to be taller than you." The younger grumbled to himself before crossing his arms and pressing himself further against the tree he was sitting in front of.

"I highly doubt that."

The boys sat in silence for a few moments, Crocodile slowly falling asleep as a light breeze lazily swept through the foliage around. The blonde kid just sat in puzzlement, going over his current situation over and over in his head while staring off into the distance. He could hardly understand what was happening nowadays. He wasn't working, he wasn't being hit and shouted at, Crocodile didn't constantly look down at him and give him unreasonable orders, he was also eating just as well as the kid sitting next to him and drinking imported wine from far off countries. Crocodile always said the names of the different parts of their meals but the blonde was way too engrossed by the fact that he was getting enough freshly cooked portions to fill his entire plate to pay any attention. But he knew for sure that wherever the stuff was from, it sounded expensive.

The boy looked over his shoulder, staring at the nobility who was dozing in the shade just a few arm-lengths away. He watched as the elder's chest rose and fell, wondering just what was going through the other's head over the course of the past few days. The slave hadn't been brought to this clearing and forced to stay there out of sight, he and Crocodile had practically gone all over the island exploring. They scoured the landscape, trekked across the beaches, ran through the docks and broke into various homes owned by nobility either to steal something of interest or break expensive looking objects. Whenever they saw any guards, Crocodile would either push the blonde out of sight or pretend he was beating the crap out of the younger boy, successfully warding off any suspicion. But the fact that he had someone, the son of a noble of all people, looking out for him made the kid extremely skeptical. At first he had been intolerable of the nobility's presence, shouting every curse word he knew at the other boy and getting into fight after fight with him, but now he had become accustomed to Crocodile's presence and didn't want these few days to be nothing but a lie since he couldn't stomach going back to being a slave, not after this taste of freedom.

"Hey, Crocodile?" The blonde spoke up, still looking at the other. The elder cracked open an eyelid, turning his gaze towards the one trying to get his attention. The younger waited for the other to make a response but when it was apparent he wasn't going to get one he continued. "Why are you doing all of this?"

The nobility just stared for a moment, contemplating the question before he closed his eyes and turned back to relaxing against the palm tree.

"Doing all of what?"

The blonde kid blinked. He thought the implication was apparent enough, but obviously not.

"Why aren't you treating me like everyone else? How come you're letting me do what ever I want and don't even beat me when you're angry? If this is some kind of sick gag you nobles do then..."

"Calm down you idiot. I'm doing this because I want to." The elder interrupted, his facial features hardly even changing. "Everyone on this island that I know has a pole so far up their asses that it's no fun being around them. Not to mention a guy can only pull so many pranks on the idiots in charge here before getting bored of those too." Crocodile replied, not even bothering to look at the kid. The slave boy just blinked in surprise, hardly believing the simplicity of the nobility's reasoning. He narrowed his eyes and continued.

"Who are you really?" The kid asked. Nobody just did these things out of the kindness of their hearts, especially since nothing spectacular separated the blonde from the rest of the thousands of slaves on this island. But instead of the crafty smirk the kid thought he was going to receive, Crocodile burst into laughter.

"You sure do ask a lot of questions." The elder boy stated as he calmed down from his laughing fit. "There really is no ulterior motive to my plans. I'm Crocodile; twelve-year-old chaos-obsessed, fighting extraordinaire." The nobility finished as he stood up. The blonde watched as Crocodile walked over and stopped right in front of him, extending a hand before speaking again. "Come on, there's one more place I have to show you."

~0~

The two boys stood in front of the largest and most ornate building that the blonde kid had ever seen. He stared in awe up at the stone pillars and enormous archways, taking in the sight of every neatly carved statue and carefully chiseled design that seemed to fill every open spot with breathtaking artwork. The kid repositioned the sunglasses he was currently wearing so the frames covered his eyes once more and turned back to Crocodile who also adorned his own pair of shades.

"What is this place?" The slave asked with an astonished tone and wide eyes. He had definitely seen his fair share of sculptures and paintings while working for nobility but the grandeur and majesty of this building was just something else. It had a feeling to it that seemed to be drawing the kid inside and he was more than excited to explore what was beyond the entrance.

"It's the most famous coliseum on the Grand Line and the easiest way to earn a few bucks gambling." Crocodile replied as he continued to stand outside of the building before giving the kid in front of him a once over, frowning at what he saw.

"Are you seriously going to wear that?" He asked skeptically as he folded his arms. The blonde glanced down at his pink shirt and yellow pants before scowling at the other.

"You got a problem with it?" The younger asked in a warning tone. Crocodile just scoffed and turned, heading for the entrance as the slave tagged along, eager to see what was inside.

The boys wandered through an archway and headed deeper inside until the taller kid stopped in front of a registration booth. He grabbed one of the sign in sheets and scrawled his name across a line before handing it to the other boy. The blonde stared at the paper and pen in confusion but gingerly took the objects, holding them like they would break if he held them too tight.

"What's the matter? Just make up a name and write it down." Crocodile hissed to the younger, trying not to draw attention to himself from the crowd around. The younger boy just glanced up at the nobility and spoke.

"I can't read or write."

Crocodile was at a loss for words and stood flabbergasted for a moment. He was tempted to smack himself in the face for not realizing that detail sooner but ended up just shaking his head before snatching the paper and pen back.

"Make something up and I'll write it." The boy said as he positioned the utensil against the sheet and waited for a response. But the slave just continued to stare at him like a fish out of water and Crocodile rolled his eyes. "Think of an animal or something, just hurry up."

Time continued to tick away but the blonde still didn't have an answer for the nobility. Then again, did he even know that many animals…?

"Why don't I just take your real name?" The younger kid suddenly asked. The question threw the other boy off for a moment and he stared with a puzzled expression at the shorter kid. Crocodile reeled himself in from his thoughts quickly though and turned back to the paper in his hand.

"No, it's mine." He replied as he waited for a different answer.

"But you don't even like it!" The slave called out, obviously irked that the elder had two names while he didn't even have one.

"Doesn't mean you can have it." The nobility responded in a bored tone. The blonde grumbled something under his breath and the elder looked up with an impatient expression.

"I don't know a whole lot animals, give me some ideas." The blonde stated as he continued to rack his brain for any answers. This time Crocodile really did smack himself in the face before replying.

"Well, you have the fashion sense of a colorblind flamingo but the mindset of a brainless donkey. Pick one."

The slave wasn't entirely sure what the first animal was but he knew he was being insulted when he heard the other kid practically call him an dumbass.

"You bastard! Call me either one of those and I'll rearrange your stupid face!" The blonde angrily stated as he rolled up his sleeves and glared at the other. But crocodile was completely unphased by the action and scrawled something else along another line on the paper.

"Doflamingo it is." The elder said with a sly smirk as he set the sheet on the registration table and grabbed the newly named slave by the front of his shirt before dragging him off deeper into the coliseum.


	4. Tournament

The blonde stared in wonder at everything he could see, marveling at the décor and various people either standing or walking around. There were tall people, short people, and fat people along with skinny ones, busty ones and oddly proportioned ones. They had beards, hats, colorful accessories, eccentric outfits and just about everything else that made each person stand out from the crowd. The kid would glance back towards Crocodile every once in a while just to make sure he hadn't gotten lost but otherwise spent his time taking in every detail around.

There wasn't very much variety in the places around this island where he had worked so everything around amounted to a cultural shock to Doflamingo.

The kid paused a moment, missing a beat while walking as he was slightly thrown off at the thought that had just come across his mind.

_Doflamingo._

The slave smirked lightly to himself, immediately returning to the task of following after Crocodile as the two headed deeper into the coliseum.

The boys walked through a large entryway that led outside, greeted with the blinding light of the sun and having to push their sunglasses back up their noses once more. A light murmur traveled through the wind since not even half of the seats had been taken up as people made idol conversation while waiting for whatever festivities to get underway. Crocodile returned to his path and began climbing the flights of stairs, making his way quickly from step to step. Once they reached halfway between the ground and last landing he turned, heading for a platform that was jutting out and had replaced some of the seating. Once they reached it, Crocodile cleared his throat and stood at attention as Doflamingo stopped behind him.

Four men were sitting on the platform, seated in chairs that looked much nicer than the stone benches around along with a table in front of them decorated with various papers and boxes. The man closest to Crocodile turned his attention to the boy, a bored expression on his face until recognizing exactly who was in front of him.

"Crocodile! I didn't think you'd be coming today, there's not supposed to be anything particularly interesting going on." The man stated as he reached out and grabbed the nobility's hand before shaking it a few times. "But then again, maybe you know something I don't."

Crocodile removed his hand before answering. "No, we're on the same page. Just thought I'd sit through a few games and leave sometime in the middle."

"Is that so?" The man mused before suddenly taking notice to the other occupant in the vicinity. "And what's this? You've brought a friend? That's rare…"

Doflamingo suddenly became very uncomfortable, glancing away before ever making eye contact with the man. Crocodile didn't say anything in return, he only pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to the other.

"10,000 berries on B group making it to halftime." The kid stated as the man took his money. Doflamingo just stared incredulously at the cash, surprised Crocodile would carry that much with him at once and yet at the same time he expected it.

"Only 10k? You really are holding out on me."

Now Doflamingo really balked. The man flipped through the bills, making sure the sum was all there before writing down some notes, punching some buttons on a machine and handing the nobility a ticket. But as Crocodile was about to take the paper, the man held firmly onto it.

"You know the rules, boy. Don't skip out on me this time."

An annoyed sigh came from the nobility but instead of grabbing the ticket he took another clipboard from the table and scrawled something across one of the lines, handing it back and reaching for the ticket once more.

"Your friend too." The man stated as he still refused to let go of the paper. Now Crocodile scowled.

"That's never been part of the deal." The nobility replied, making no move to pick up the clipboard. The man gave a greasy smirk in return.

"It is now since you're holding out on me with your measly 10k. Come on, what are the odds either of you will even be chosen?"

Doflamingo glanced at the other, completely lost at what was going on. Crocodile muttered something indecipherable but took the clipboard back and wrote something else on another one of the lines before snatching the ticket in his hand and turning on his heel without a word. Doflamingo followed immediately after, tagging after the nobility as he began ascending the stairs once more.

~0~

"What were you two talking about?" The blonde asked as he and Crocodile took a seat near the top of the coliseum. The elder scoffed in annoyance and replied.

"There's a contest at the end of every tournament that's more of a tradition than anything." The nobility answered, folding his arms and glaring down at the platform they had just come from. "If by the end of any game a slave is the only one left standing, an audience member is to be selected at random from the list I just signed to continue the game and ultimately end the slave's life."

Doflamingo glanced down at the empty arena, imagining what the fighting would be like before a thought came to mind.

"What happens if the slave wins again?" The younger asked curiously.

"I don't know." The nobility answered, also glancing down at the arena as people began filing in and an announcer came over the intercom. "I've only seen a slave win the tournament once and he was killed by the chosen audience member."

The two sat in silence as the voice over the speakers began describing what was lined up for today. It would be an ordinary tournament, nothing special. Four groups were participating in the games where A group would fight B group until all of the members of one group were completely killed and same thing between C and D group. Halftime would take place after, then the winners of A vs. B and C vs. D would battle between each other until only one man was left standing. Anyone was allowed to take part in these games and during the fight scenes anything goes. Death and mutilation were completely accepted down in the arena and citizens of this island faint of heart were advised not to watch.

~0~

Doflamingo practically sat the entire first half of the tournament on the edge of his seat, watching the bloody displays in front of him with complete fascination.

"Did you see that, Crocodile? That guy totally just got his head chopped off!"

The nobility hardly paid attention though, having already seen this repetitive line up dozens of times before. He usually only came to these events now when big money was being bet so he could get a piece of the action but he figured for now it would give him and Doflamingo something to do today.

As halftime came around, B and C groups were the ones left standing and Crocodile made his way to the platform to collect his rewards along with a couple dozen other men who had only bet as far as the first half of the show. The two boys were the last in line but eventually made it to the front and the nobility handed his ticket to the same man from before. He accepted it without word and punched three holes in it before handing it back. Crocodile stared in puzzlement.

"The hell is this?" The nobility asked as he took back the ticket. Another greasy smile came over the man's face.

"It seems Lady Luck isn't on your side today, my young friend." The man replied with a chuckle. "The number on your ticket has been chosen as the representative for the final show. Of course, only if the occasion calls for it." The man returned to his earnings to count up the money he'd gained from all of the suckers that lost their bets. But Crocodile hardly let him have a moment to himself before grabbing the man by the collar of his shirt and forcing him away from his work.

"What kind of a cheap set up is this? !" The nobility demanded angrily. But before he had a chance to continue, a burly gorilla of a man came from his seat just behind the platform and swatted the kid's hand away.

"You'd be wise to accept your fate and pray some lowly slave doesn't make it to the finals." The man stated, turning away form the two boys and waving a hand for his guard to take them away. But before they could be manhandled from the gambling platform, Crocodile left with Doflamingo following shortly after.

The nobility quickly stormed away, searching around for a moment before heading towards the first exit he could see. Doflamingo shot him a questioning glance, wondering what the kid was doing.

"Crocodile, wait. What about your money?" The blonde asked as he continued to tag along behind the other.

"Forget the money, were you blind during that whole event? Did you even notice the men who were fighting?" Crocodile asked over his shoulder as he quickly ducked into the exit. But just as he was inside a few more guards blocked his way, standing firmly in front of him and eliciting several curse words from the nobility.

"Cowardliness is a crime, you know." One of the men stated. The elder boy tried to pick out some sort of path he could use to get away but all of his exits were blocked.

"There's a difference between cowardice and knowing when you're beat." The kid replied with a grimace. The blonde glanced between the nobility and the guard, lost again at what was going on.

"Nice try kid, but either you go back in there or we deal with you two personally."

And with that, the two boys were escorted into the coliseum once more without a word. As they were led back to their seats, Doflamingo spoke up.

"Why are you so worried?" He asked, still not entirely sure what was going on. The two turned down the row they were initially sitting at and Crocodile replied.

"Look at the guys currently fighting and figure it out."

Doflamingo blinked a few times but did as he was told, searching through the men in the arena and looking for what Crocodile was talking about. Just as he was about to turn back and tell the other boy he was only being paranoid and delusional, a very large person caught his eye. The man was easily eight feet tall and several hundred pounds of pure muscle, standing in the shadows in the back of the fighting area and just looking out over the chaos ensuing. But the worst part about him was that Doflamingo recognized the man as one of the most brutal and violent slaves on the entire island. Not only that but he looked completely rested and ready for action.

The slave boy turned back to the nobility sitting next to him, his expression telling the other exactly what was on his mind.

"He's the reason I bet on B group, idiot. It was an obvious win for them."

Just as Crocodile finished his explanation, the giant man took a step into the light, his face twisted into a fearsome grin. There were only a few men left fighting to the death, but as soon as they saw the colossal man leave the shadows they stopped whatever they were doing and prepared for the worst.

A loud, collective cheer erupted from the crowd and the boys could pick out a few encouraging lines like "Slaughter them all!" or "Turn them into pulp!" and even "Paint the walls with their blood!".

Doflamingo turned away from the unavoidable carnage before the butchering could even start and looked over at the nobility. Crocodile's knuckles were white as he gripped the stone benches they were sitting on, his face equal in color as a few beads of sweat gathered at his temples. The slave swallowed and spoke before he even had a chance to think his words over.

"I can be you." He stated as confidently as a seven-year-old could muster in this situation. "I can pretend to be you and fight him. I mean, only if you want me to…" Doflamingo was cut off before he could offer a better explanation.

"You idiot, it's not me that's going up." The nobility hissed between his teeth. "I saw the name of the person who was chosen and it was yours."

Doflamingo blinked in utter shock, drawing a blank at what he should do next. Just as he was about to ask Crocodile for a solid opinion about the whole situation, the announcer came back over the loud speaker.

"And there we have it, folks! Our champion for this daily tournament and favored man amongst all of our different matches! The ruthless and powerful tormenter, descended from what seems to be the most fearsome of monsters and grotesque of beasts. The destroyer of men, the dominator of wars, the one and only Kaido of the Beasts!"

A mixture of boos and cheers filled the air and drilled into the slave boy's skull.

"And as tradition would have it, we've taken the liberty of choosing a member of the audience to represent True Justice of out fair island, Dressrosa, and defeat this despicable man! Let's hear it for Doflamingo!"

A pit dropped in the boy's stomach as his hands began shaking uncontrollably. He knew he had to run as fast as possible and get out of here post haste, but before he knew it the kid was hoisted into the air like a sack of potatoes and carried down the stairs by one of the guards that had been standing behind the two boys.

The last thing he saw before being lead through an entrance to the arena below was Crocodile being restrained by one of the other guards, shouting something at the top of his lungs.

~0~

AN: and there's my biggest twists in this entire fanfic (for now). Doflamingo's first encounter with Kaido being a bloody fight, Doflamingo being enslaved on the very island he grows up to rule and Crocodile being a close friend  
...bear with me for now, i promise i'll be putting everything together by the end


End file.
